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Last month with St. Patrick's day I saw a lot of beef stew recipes and something else that caught my eye; a beef stew pie. A beef stew pie is pretty much like it sounds, beef stew that is baked in a pie. That's right, beef that is slowly braised until it is fall apart tender and full of flavour that is baked into light and flaky golden brown pastry...mmm... To make things even better the beef can be braised in Guinness. Not to stop there but you can also add some bacon and brown the meat and saute the vegetables in the bacon grease for even more flavour. I knew that I would have to make a steak and guinness pie long before this point but then I came across an adaptation of Jamie Olivers steak and Guinness pie on The Cutting Edge of Ordinary that also included cheddar cheese! I would not have thought to use cheddar cheese to a beef stew pot pie but as soon as I heard it I knew that I had to try it!

I modified the recipe a bit so that I would have just enough to fill my pie plate with beef stew. I decided to go with an actual pie crust as my pie crust skills could use a bit of work. The steak and guinness pie turned out amazing! The pie crust came out nice and golden brown and it was light and buttery and flaky both on the top and the bottom. After braising for three hours the beef stew was so full of flavour that it would have been wonderful all by itself but then it was wrapped with the pie pastry and topped with a layer of melted cheddar cheese and it was sublimely good! This was one of the best meals that I have had in a while! This recipe is definitely a keeper. I went with a classic pairing and served the beef and guinness pot pie with a side of peas.

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon and set aside leaving the grease in the pan.
2. Add the beef and brown on all sides and set aside.
3. Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
5. Add the guinness and deglaze the pan.
6. Add the stock, bacon, beef, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is tender, about 2-3 hours.
8. Place the first pie crust into the bottom of a pie plate and pour the beef stew in.
9. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef stew and cover with the top pie crust.
10. Mix the egg and water and brush it onto the top of the pie crust.
11. Bake in a preheated 350 oven until golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.

Your crust looks masterly. I make Beef and Guinness stew on occasion. Never would have thought of gilding the lily and including cheese in the pie. Is cheese a little too over the top? Oh well, I guess there's only one way to find out..! :)

One of the benefits of being Australian is that the whole consists on a diet of pie. Not "pecan pie" or "pumpkin pie", our pies have meat in them, and boy can Australian's make pie. I am glad yours turned out so very well, looking delicious.

I'm drooling and it's only 7:00 in the morning. Is it wrong to want steak and potatoes for breakfast in the form of a pie? We are HUGE Guinness fans in this house. I will be trying this. Thanks again!Jaime

Everything you make is amazing!I've just returned from a weekend with no internet and the first thing I had to check out was your yummy blog! A question now: Who eats all the food you make? I'm guessing it's not only you,because you look nice and slim in your picture.....unless you are just as talented in the photoshop department!....

I just realized what I like about your blog Kevin. You like good food and you dive right in unafraid to cook whatever you desire, and even if your pie crust skills aren't as good as you'd like, you find a way to work around it.

upon my many random ramblings and rummages, I cam across this and I am amazed at how delicious this pie looks! My weakness is Guinness, and with beef? You sly fellow, I embrace your genius! Keep up the good work!

Jenn@slim-shoppin: I plan my meals ahead of time and try to get all of my grocery shopping done on Saturday mornings. That way I have everything that I need for the upcoming week and I don't have to worry about running around at the last minute.

This pie was delicious. I used all beef broth instead of stock or guiness, and subbed 2 small potatoes for the mushrooms. I don't think I'd add the cheese next time though, but the overall taste was great. I loved the spin off a typical chicken pot pie. Thanks!

The stew is simmering in my dutch oven as we speak...one question though, as it simmers, does the liquid thicken? It seems very liquid-y right now, I just didn't want to pour it into the pie crust and it getting soggy. Can't wait for dinner tonight. Happy St.Patty's Day!

I made this stew in the crock pot and then used puff pastry on top when I put it in bowls to bake. My family loved it. Next time I'm going to bake the puff pastry circles separately and put one on the bottom, ladle in the stew and then put the other on top for a nice crunchy texture.

I REALLY want to make this for a party. Only problem is I'd HAVE to make it ahead of time. Do you think I could assemble it ALL the night before/day of and refrigerate it until before we eat then bake it? Or will the crust get funky and mush? Any suggestions?

Anonymous: I think the pie crust is going to have problems if you do it like that. I would fit the lower pie crust into the pie plate and have the top rolled out, wrapped in plastic with the filling separate and then quickly assemble and bake on the day of. Enjoy!

This is cooking on my stove top as we speak in Dallas, TX! However, all of the stock and guinness dried up within 40 minutes of simmering so I added a bit of water. May transfer to the pie dish while the meat is still tender, afraid to let it simmer any longer and it will be dried up. I will report back once it's on the table!

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.